Hydraulic machine having adjustable blade runner



Feb. 6, 1968 3,367,424-

HYDRAULIC MACHINE HAVING ADJUSTABLE BLADE RUNNER SHUNICHI FUKASU ETAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 7, 1967 INVENTORS smuwc/r Fur/1 2 u Mama /voag NDBQHQ TRKHG/ gm. 9A

' ATTORNEY Feb. 6, 1968 SHUNICHI FUKASU ETAL 3,357,424

HYDRAULIC MACHINE HAVING ADJUSTABLE BLADE RUNNER Filed April 7, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS BI/awem Farr/74 4 Ills lA/DLLE Na (/0 fixns/ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,367,424 HYDRAULIC MACHINE HAVING ADJUSTABLE BLADE RUNNER Shunichi Fukasu, Hisao Inoue, and Nobuho Takagi, Hitachi-shi, Japan, assignors to Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Apr. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 629,297 6 Claims. (Cl. 170--160.23)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rotary pump mounted in a runner boss of an adjustable blade hydraulic machine is driven by utilizing the rotational force of an operating rod which is provided to operate runner blades so as to forcibly lubricate the sliding portions of the runner blades.

This invention relates to a hydraulic machine and more particularly to an adjustable blade machine having a lubricating device for a runner blade operating mechanism. This invention is particularly applicable to a diagonal turbine, diagonal turbine pump or Kaplan turbine, having a runner blade operating mechanism of rotary type.

The inside space of the runner boss of such a hydraulic machine is filled with pressurized boss oil for the purpose not only of preventing the invasion of high pressure water but also of naturally lubricating the sliding portions of the stems of the runner blades. However, when a hydraulic machine of this type of a larger size is employed under high water head, the stress exerted on the sliding portions of the stems is rapidly increased, consequently requiring the forced lubrication system for these portions to protect them from being bitten 011.

It is known in an operating mechanism of a runner blade of reciprocating type to provide a pump of reciproeating type directly connected with the lower end of an operating rod so as to make forced lubrication of the sliding portions of the stem to meet with the above re quirement, but it is difiicult to apply this method to an operating mechanism of runner blades of rotary type.

This invention provides a forced lubrication system for the sliding portions of stems of runner blades in an operating mechanism of rotary runner blades. According to the invention, the lubrication of the sliding portions of the stems can be effected quite easily.

The gist of this invention is to provide a rotary pump such as a vane pump within the runner boss so that the pump is driven by utilizing the rotational force of the operating rod of the mechanism which is originally provided to operate the rotary runner blades and thereby to forcibly lubricate the sliding portions of the stems of the runner blades.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a rotary runner blade operating mechanism which constitutes a principal portion of an adjustable blade hydraulic machine according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross section of a rotary pump according to this invention; and

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of the pump of FIG. 2.

In FIG. 1, the rotational power output of a servomotor 10, the explanation of which will be omitted since it may be a conventional vane pump type servomotor, is transferred by an operating rod 1 mounted within a main shaft 11 to a stem 4 via arms 8 and 9 so as to rotate the stem and thereby to adjust a runner blade 3. The inside space of a runner boss 7 is filled with a pressurized oil, which 3,367,424 Patented Feb. 6, 1968 is pumped by a rotary lubricating pump 2 such as a vane pump connected with the operating rod 1 through a hollow annular passage 21. In accordance with the rotational movement of the operating rod, the oil is thus fed effec tively to sliding portions, or bushings 5 of the stem 4 of the runner blade 3 through an oil passage 6 provided in the stem to lubricate said portions. The bushings 5 are preferably provided with many grooves around its inner surface to improve the oil lubrication. The flow of the lubricating oil is shown by arrows in FIG. 1.

The structure and the function of the lubricating pump will be explained further with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

A boss 13 of the pump is integral with the runner boss 7 of FIG. 1, and the operating rod 1 is rotated relatively to the boss 13 by means of the rotary servomotor 10 (FIG. 1). Stator vanes 15 and rotor vanes 14 are fixed to the boss 13 and the operating rod 1, respectively, and they are defining respective chambers 12, the volumes of which are changed by rotation of the operating rod 1.

The pumping is effected by utilizing such change of volumes, whereby the oil is pumped from the inside space of the runner boss 7 to the oil passage 6.

Ball check valves 18 are mounted at inlets 20 and outlets 19 of respective chambers 12 to prevent the counter flow of the pumped oil. The vanes 14 and 15 are provided with special packings 16 and 17 for prevention of oil leakage.

I claim:

1. In an adjustable blade hydraulic machine having a main shaft, a runner boss connected to said main shaft, and a plurality of adjustable blades and respective supporting means provided with said runner boss, the improvement comprising rotatory means provided Within said main shaft and operatively connected with said supporting means for adjusting said blades by means of the rotating movement of said rotatory means, and pumping means provided within said runner boss and operably connected with said rotatory means for forcibly conducting lubricating liquid to said supporting means in accordance with the rotating movement of said rotatory means.

2. An adjustable blade hydraulic machine according to claim 1, in which said runner boss is filled with pressurized oil; said rotatory means includes an operating rod and connecting means connecting said rod with said supporting means; and said each supporting means is comprised by a stern and a bushing means.

3'- An adjustable blade hydraulic machine according 'to claim 2, in which said stem has at least a conduit therein through which the lubricating oil is led to the bushing means.

4. An adjustable blade hydraulic machine according to claim 3, in which said bushing means has a number of grooves around the inner surface thereof. 5. An adjustable blade hydraulic machine according to claim 2, in which said pumping means is comprised by a vane type pump including at least a movable vane connected to said operating rod, valve means for directing flow of the oil, and conducting means for conducting pumped oil to said supporting means.

6. An adjustable blade hydraulic machine according to claim 4, in which said pumping means is comprised by a vane type pump including at least a movable vane connected to said operating rod and valve means for directing flow of the oil; and said runner boss includes an annular space as a conducting means which connects said pumping means and said plurality of supporting means.

(References on following page) 5/1942 Ring 253-117 7/1957 Driaz.

5 4/1966 Yokoi 170160.23 X

4- FOREIGN PATENTS 702,047 1/ 1941 Germany. 872,780 5/1953 Germany. 58,691 2/1922 Sweden.

EVERETTE A. POWELL, 111., Primary Examiner,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,367 ,424 February 6 1968 Shunichi Fukasu et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

In the heading to the printed specification, after line 7, insert Claims priority, application Japan,

Apr. 13, 1966, 22,908/66 Signed and sealed this 1st day of April 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

